


to build a home

by slytherfuck



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Asexual Jughead Jones, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Living Together, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:21:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23610724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherfuck/pseuds/slytherfuck
Summary: With a home like theirs, clutter is unavoidable.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper/Veronica Lodge/Jughead Jones
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53





	to build a home

With a home like theirs, clutter is unavoidable.

Betty likes to think of it as an organised mess. She always finds what she is looking for, always has, just another one of her superpowers, like Archie likes to say. Not just once did she have to look for a missing heel for Veronica, a sock for Jughead or (she doesn't know how he always manages to lose it) Archie's guitar. 

Veronica, on the other hand, absolutely hates it. Before, when living at Pembrooke, her room was always clean and every little thing was where it was supposed to be. But living in such a luxurious space didn’t help her at all in acquiring organization skills, as almost everything was done for her. Discovering how messy her room can get in just a day came as a complete shock to her.

Jughead, used to living in small spaces, often found himself tripping over the others’ stuff, as he didn’t own much. A habit like that, from deep in his childhood, is hard to break out of and Veronica was the first one to make him realise how little he actually had. Not that he minds. This way, he never loses anything (unless it is buried between the others’ stuff).

Archie is the messiest of all of them, which the others didn’t expect, considering he had run the gym by himself for the most part. Out of all of them, he seems to be the only one not bothered by the mess, his room looking exactly like the one in his childhood home. What’s more, he hates it when someone else tries to tidy it up, a thing his mother has long since learned to stop doing.

It may seem like a tornado has passed through their apartment but, after two years of living together, they don’t notice it much, even if Vee is still embarrassed about it when someone points it out, or Betty gets annoyed when she finds Archie’s things in rooms that aren’t his own. 

Not that Archie spends that much time in his room. None of them do, except Jug, whose room became the designated sleeping area for all four of them. They have many reasons for it: it is the only one in the house that is relatively clean, his bed is bigger, it is the closest to the kitchen and the bathroom. Jughead may seem annoyed by it, but he really isn't. Having all of them so close is all that matters. 

Touching may be something that he is not always entirely comfortable with, and, those times, just feeling someone near him is enough. When he is sat at his desk, writing, completely lost to the world, Jughead still feels Archie's soft, warm presence on his bed, strumming his guitar. Or Betty's steady one, with her nose buried in a book or one of his manuscripts. Or Vee's almost intoxicating one, scrolling on her phone, perfectly manicured nails tapping on the screen. Or all of them, or some of them, but he is never alone, not really. There are times when he may be home alone, holed up in his bed watching some documentary and munching on his favourite chips, and he spots something on his nightstand: Veronica's golden earrings, Betty's hair tie, Archie's guitar pick. And Jughead smiles as his lovers' presence washes over him even when they are away.

Veronica cooks, usually. After moving out from under her parent's wing, she has taken classes, determined to not be the person to rely on others for help, and she found a real passion in it. Every other evening or so, you'll find her in the kitchen, working away while the others are spread around, either helping her, in Archie's case, or sitting around, tapping away on their laptops and making conversation. These moments are Vee's favourites, having all of them close like this, filling the house with their voices and laughter and making her laugh, all warm and giddy and full of love. If home is where the heart is, then her heart is among these three, in a house that is a little too small for them, but small enough so that she can never truly feel alone. And, of course, keeping with the aesthetic of their relationship, after Veronica is done cooking, she never washes the dishes. They sit in the sink for as long as they can, until they disappear. She doesn't know who washes them. But the next time she cooks, they are out of the way and that is all that matters to her.

If the mess gets too much, it is always Betty who tries to do something about it. She only ever gets to clean her and Veronica's rooms, but she alway makes sure that the living room is impeccable. Not for guests, but for the nights all four of them pile on the couch for marathons of whatever they find on Netflix. She likes the mystery ones, even when they all start shouting who they think the killer is halfway through the movie. They are always wrong, and she is alway right. For Veronica they watch period dramas, during which Archie falls asleep and Vee and Jug cry while holding onto each other. Archie likes musicals and he knows all the lyrics by heart. They all join in at Disney movies. And Jughead has the best taste in horror movies. Sometimes Betty thinks he does this just so he can cuddle with them, but if that's the case, he only has to ask. He is by far the best big spoon out of the four of them.

Despite his messy ways, Archie is the best one to have around the house, Jug says. Not only once have Betty and Veronica broken something because of their dancing, and it is always Archie who fixes it, with a fond smile on his face. It seems to Vee that he always has a fond smile on his face when it comes to them. He is also the warmest of them, the one they all seek for complaining and for being comforted. There hasn't been a single problem of theirs Archie hasn't heard and, even if his advice might leave much to be desired, his opinions and comments are usually what make them realise no problem, no matter how serious it may appear, is insurmountable. He kisses the top of Betty's head and sighs when he hears how poorly her fellow coworkers handle their cases. He massages Veronica's shoulders and indulges her gossip of her competition. He runs his hand through Jughead's hair as he tells him about his writer's block and helps him brainstorm new ideas. Archie may think that what he has to say makes no difference in the end, but his input is what really keeps them going.

Each one of them contributes to this house with their very souls and that is why, at the end of every day, it becomes their refuge as they take their places in their lovers' arms

**Author's Note:**

> is plot necessary? isn't an aesthetic enough???
> 
> this is pretty shit ngl
> 
> also i'm on tumblr @madmoazela if you like utter garbage.


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